


Skating Forward

by Harper44



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: AU, High School AU, Kissing, M/M, Rollerblades, Skater Boys, cocky boys, forward rhett, gay boys, link on rollerblades, rhetton a skate board
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26146159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harper44/pseuds/Harper44
Summary: A new boy moved in across the street from Rhett's house. The first time he watches him skate down the street, Rhett's entranced.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49





	Skating Forward

Rhett used to be irritated that he lives in the neighborhood close to the skate park instead of the area on the other side of town closer to his friends’ hang out spots. In this moment though, he isn’t quite as perturbed. Rhett is skimming through his summer reading on the front porch the first time he sees their new neighbor step outside. The house across the street had been empty for a while and his parents seemed excited when someone moved in, but they had yet to meet the family. Now, Rhett wanted to more than ever. 

The boy is tall, though not as tall as Rhett. His roller blades add a few inches and so does his hair, pushed back with a sweatband straight from the eighties. The bit of muscle on his arms flexes nicely as he laces up his skates over knee high socks. When he stands, Rhett can’t keep his eyes off the impossibly short shorts he’s wearing. The moment the boy is out of sight down the street, Rhett is jumping up to take his books inside and grab his skateboard. As he follows the path his new neighbor took a few minutes ago, he wrestles with the assumption that he’s gay and by the time he reaches the park, he’s decided that no man who casually wears shorts and socks like that can be completely straight.

Without a solid plan of action, Rhett stops in his tracks once he reaches the skate park. The new boy is the only one there and sweat drips down his back as he watches. Rhett appreciates the unpopularity of this location. It’s out of the way for anyone who doesn’t live in the neighborhood and not many kids who go to the high school in town live in this area. Aside from Rhett and the new kid, apparently. 

Rhett skates a little, doing some of the easier tricks he knows. He doesn’t try anything too difficult because he knows he’s too distracted watching the other boy and he’d rather not wipe out in front of him. He’s mesmerized by the ease with which he moves on the roller blades, twisting and turning and moving backwards with dexterity. Attention locked on his narrow waist and flexible hips, Rhett only realizes he’s staring when the boy skates a little closer than he has been and makes eye contact, throwing a wink over his shoulder once he’s past. A blush creeps onto Rhett’s face and he turns away and steps onto his board. Before he can think too hard about it, he attempts a more difficult trick he’d learned recently. To his own surprise, he succeeds, and almost subconsciously, he’s looking over his shoulder to see if the other boy was watching. He was, and now Rhett’s panicking a little as the boy skates toward him.

The boy stops right in front of him, grin on his face and hand outstretched. “I’m Link. Was wondering if you were actually gonna do something. I know I’m decent, but you’re making me think I should start charging.”

Rhett takes his hand, cheeks flaming. “You’re better than decent. I’m Rhett.” He knows he holds the handshake too long, but he doesn’t care. He wants his attraction known. He’s gonna be a senior in a week and he knows the moment this boy steps into school, he’ll be drawing the attention of guys and girls alike. “You wanna come over for dinner?”

Link seems surprised, but not turned off. “Yeah, that’d be great, actually. My mom works tonight. You live across the street from me, right?”

“Yep,” Rhett confirms, popping the “p.” Introductions accomplished, they head back down the street, Link weaving around Rhett and teasing him about being slow. “I could be on roller blades myself if I was flexible like you!” Rhett says, watching Link skate backwards in front of him. 

Link smirks, “Skating isn’t the only thing my flexibility makes easier.” Rhett flushes again, glad they’re on the same page and sheepish about Link’s forward-ness. He’s a perfectly pleasant guest and Rhett can tell his mom loves the boy already. They learn more about each other over dinner, but Rhett is antsy to go up to his room and spend some more time alone with Link. 

Up in Rhett’s room, Link quickly makes himself at home and Rhett feels arousal in the pit of his stomach at the sight of Link in those socks and short shorts lounging in his bed. They talk about music for a while before Rhett decides to forge ahead and more clearly state his intentions. Too many times has he tried “being friends first” and after only a few hours with this boy, he knows that’s not gonna work. “Excuse me if I’m wrong, but I was kind of assuming you’re gay?” Rhett says, slouched in his desk chair, end of his sentence turning up in a question.

Link laughs, blue eyes sparkling, “You think I dress like this and expect people to think I’m straight?”

Grinning, Rhett says, “Well, I sure hoped not.”

“You’re harder to pin down, though,” Link muses, a smile playing on his lips that draws Rhett’s attention to them.

“If I ask you to go out with me, will that clear things up?” Rhett asks.

“Oh, yeah that makes things crystal clear,” Link says, standing up. “Before I agree to a date, though, there’s one thing I have to know.” 

“What’s that?” Rhett says quietly, tilting his head back as Link steps into his space and leans over him. 

He twists Rhett’s shirt in his fist and elects not to answer verbally, instead pulling him up and pressing their lips together. Rhett wraps his hands around his waist and brings him down into his lap, overwhelmed at how hot this is. He’s never kissed someone this soon after meeting them, let alone someone with so much sex appeal. After a heated moment of lips on lips, Link leans back and grins wickedly. “I’ll go on a date with you.” Somehow he manages more coherent thought than Rhett is capable of right now and asks, “You out at school?”

“Uh…” Rhett shakes his head a little, trying to clear it enough to speak while Link is in his lap, “Sort of. The people I care about know, I guess. I don’t care about any of that, though, if it means I can call you my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend, then? You’d be required to steal kisses against the lockers between classes if that’s the case,” Link says before pressing his lips to his jaw.

“That won’t be a problem at all.” Rhett slips his hands under Link’s shirt to press his fingertips into the flesh of his waist, pulling him closer and making out with him proper.

They spend time together at the skate park or in one of their bedrooms for the remainder of the summer. Rhett walks into his first day of senior year with his arm around the hottest boy in school and he couldn’t be happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my tumblr @harper44


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